here is throw fuel on the fire at a time when the civil -- when the debate about politics is a very angry debate to begin with. >> reporter: so, with the midterm elections seven months ago, is the president giving up on bipartisanship? >> on the one hand i think it signals that he is on a roll, that they've passed health care and they're feeling confident and want to put some people in place. but it also signals that ahead there's more clash. >> reporter: a clash indeed. nastiness, spitting, name-calling, bricks thrown through windows, and fiery rhetoric. >> let's stop these sleazy chicago-style sausage making that went on behind closed doors. >> obama, pelosi, reid spending spree is over, you're fired. >> reporter: governing in the coming months isn't going to get any easier. >> between the two betters certainly before the midterm elections. >> reporter: the white house defends these recess appointments saying president bush, in fact, every recent president, used them. still, it was this president,

mr. obama, who promised to change washington. resorting to this tactic may only deepen the divisions between the two political parties. north korea is warning of retaliation against its south korean neighbor and the united states for what it describes as psychological warfare. the north koreans are angry over journalist tours to the dmz buffer zone that divides north and south korea. the heightened tensions come with south korea's unexplained explosion and sinking of a navy ship saturday. pope benedict opened holy week under mounting pressure sparked with the worsening pedophile priest scandal. as jim sciutto reports the pope insists he won't be intimidated by his critics. >> reporter: with the world watching and a crowd of tens of thousands, pope benedict presided over the start of holy week at st. peter's. his homily made only an indirect mention of the scandal shaking the catholic church. a series of revelations has raised questions about the pope's handling of abusive clergy.

as archbishop in germany and later as head of the vatican office entrusted with investigating abuse. the vatican has defended the pope arguing he has pursued abuse more aggressively than his predecessors, noting most cases happened decades ago. >> no one has been more vigorous in cleansing the church of the effects of this sickening sin and crime than the man we now call pope benedict xvi. >> reporter: in a case from the u.s. sparking outrage in recent days, then-cardinal joseph ratzinger has been criticized for not dismissing a priest who abused an estimated 200 deaf boys. the key mistake in many such cases critics say is the church seemed to act principally to protect the church from scandal, rather than confront abusers and prevent them from abusing again. saturday the vatican's top spokesman acknowledged how the church handles the current crisis is crucial for its moral credibility. jim sciutto, abc news, the vatican. u.s. auto giant ford is

selling volvo to chinese automaker gili. but that amount is less than one-third of the $6.4 billion ford originally paid for volvo 11 years ago. the swedish company is known for making vehicles that also has appeal to families but volvo has been a loss for ford. 16,000 of them in sweden. all right, let's talk some basketball. march madness, the sweet 16, and the elite eight are now down to the final four. the surprising final four. michigan state outlasted tennessee yesterday to book its place in the national semifinals. the spartans have survived this far despite a serious injury of one of their top players last week. >> duke punched its final four ticket by topping baylor. the blue devils are the tournament's only number one seed still alive. >> in indy it is butler, the hometown team, against michigan state, and duke will take on west virginia.

the duke part i get. the rest is a big surprise. >> there's a lot to cheer for but i'm glad about that. >> i don't know anybody who picked those four teams for the final four. >> my husband picked duke. >> he's on to something. here's your monday forecast. the east coast gets drenched with heavy rain and flooding from north carolina to new england. possible thunderstorms around new york and philly today. stormy also in south florida. a rainy, windy day from san francisco to seattle. heavy snow in the sierras and cascades. >> near 70 from sacramento to colorado springs. a hot 86 in phoenix. 49 in chicago. 59 in minneapolis. 66 in omaha. high 50s from boston to atlanta. 76 in miami. down in phoenix at the zoo they're celebrating a major milestone for one of the original residents. >> it was the big 5-0 for duchess, the orangutan, the oldest cap dave-born owe rang tan in the country. hundreds of visitors sang "happy birthday" as dutch chess enjoyed her ice cake filled with fruit.

>> dutchess was 2 years old whe the zoo opened at 1962. at 50 what does she do besides eat ice cake? we're told she loves to paint on canvas and clean her own pen with a scrubbing brush. she's a hard worker at age 50. >> wow. she paints, extraordinary. >> i'd like to see some of that. we'll be right back with more "world news now." assistance getting around their homes. there is a medicare benefit that may qualify you for a new power chair or scooter at little to no cost to you. stay tuned for this important medicare benefit information and free scooter guarantee. imagine... one scooter or power chair that could improve your may entitle you to pay little to nothing to own it. one company that can make it all happen ...

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talk to. there is a medicare benefit that may qualify you for a new power chair or scooter at little to no cost to you. the los angeles school district plans to save money by shortening the next school year by a week. unions representing teachers and administrators agreed to the deal to save more than 2,000 jobs and keep class sizes from growing. the los angeles school system,

which is the second-largest in the country, is facing a $640 million deficit. >> no complaints from kids i'm sure. a 14-year-old kid from a town next to los angeles is on a global crusade to save the world from cussing. >> when vice president joe biden whisperedage expletive into president obama's ear at the signing of the health care bill last week, he knew he had his work cut out for him. >> reporter: it was the f-bomb heard round the world. a 17-year-old from southern california isn't letting vice president biden off the hook so easily. >> we are very disappointed in vice president biden's choice of words during the passing of the health bill. >> reporter: the high schooler is the founder of a no cussing club that boasts 35,000 members from around the world. >> all we ask is for a public apology and for him to take the no cussing challenge. i'm going to be actually sending vice president biden a shirt, a cussing jar, and wrist bands to remind him to use good language and show america that hope and change starts at the top.

>> reporter: the kid's gotten jay leno's attention. >> i give you a lot of credit for standing up for something you believe in. i think that's really good. >> reporter: and he's built a grassroots movement with its own squeaky clean rap anthem. ♪ don't cuss >> reporter: he had potty mouths in washington in his sights. ♪ i was trying to chill when i heard about the language on capitol hill ♪ >> reporter: president clinton chastising an aide in 1993. george w. bush describing a pesky reporter to dick cheney. as for the veep's favorite expletive? frack is always an alternative. >> any of those would have worked. >> cussing is a big deal. they say one out of every 200 words the average person says is a curse word.

>> maybe that's true for you, i never swear. >> no if. >> i have a totally clean mouth. >> i don't believe you. we'll find out during the break. get her to cuss. next, secrets of the deep. what's the recipe for sponge bob square pant's enduring success? [ male announcer ] how do the editors of consumers digest determine if a car is a best buy? first they drive it in the real world. and put it through its paces. they rate its fit and finish. and the amenities inside. they factor in purchase price and operating costs, fuel economy and resale value. in short, they do what you do to test its quality. the consumers digest best buys from chevy. put them to your own test. and may the best car win.

the most popular cartoon on tv is one of the strangest. it stars a kitchen sponge who lives at the bottom of the ocean with a motley assortment of friends. >> why is spongebob sqarepants such a ratings and merchandising powerhouse? there's neal karlinsky. >> reporter: this is the world of spongebob sqarepants. a show that's grown into a multi-billion dollar phenomenon so popular it is among the top-rated shows on all of cable television. >> we're going to let them lead us straight there! >> reporter: steven banks is the show's head writer. >> spongebob sqarepants is about

a sponge to lives under the sea in a pineapple. he makes crabby patties. >> reporter: he's not a sea sponge but an actual kitchen sponge who works as a fry cook in a place called bikini bottom. with what you might call a colorful cast of characters and assorted misfits. there's the squirrel scientist who lives in a bubble. >> kellen lawrence and i play sandy cheeks. >> i like you, spongebob. >> reporter: the greedy boss. >> chancy brown and i play mr. crabs. ♪ money oh money how i love thee ♪ >> reporter: the depressed cynical neighbor. >> spongebob keep it down! >> reporter: the dopey, good-natured best friend. >> bill. i'm patrick. >> reporter: and, of course, the sponge himself. >> tom kenny, spongebob sqarepants. >> what do you think it is? what's the secret sauce? why is this show so popular?

>> magnetism. >> secret sauce. >> funny is funny. >> we'll probably get 40 lashes. >> oh, no! >> the stories are funny, it's just maintained its longevity. >> i think it's spongebob's whimsical optimism. ♪ i'm ready i'm ready >> he cannot be defeated and i think that has a lot to do with its' peel. ♪ i'm ready i'm ready >> go spongebob! >> do you think it's the adult humor? >> i think you've hit it on the head. i think adults these days are still very immature. >> the inner machinations of my mind are an enigma. >> luckily the infantization of the american culture has worked for us. >> reporter: a full 25% of the show's audience are adults who don't even have kids. making a children's cartoon isn't child's play. it takes nine months to make just one episode.

>> spongebob comes out of the freezer and says, would you like a fresh frozen crabby patty with extra freezer burn flavor? >> reporter: the artists pitched the shows to executive producer pail tibet in a room plastered with illustrations, a story board of an episode. i think people will be surprised to see you guys drawing on post-it notes. >> it makes it easy. you can pull them off and switch them around. >> reporter: the cartoon has been going ten years now, broadcast around the world in 25 languages. ♪ >> reporter: and it has spawned an entire line of toys, clothing and food, about it sales estimated at nearly $1 billion a year. >> cha-ching, cha-ching. >> the only reason my family and i aren't living under a bridge is i can go -- daa! how do you explain that? >> reporter: actor tom kenny and the rest of the cast practice by rehearsing around a table. >> not for long!

daa! >> we're going to run this through to sandy's line 98. >> reporter: when they finally record the show, there are no added special effects for their voices. >> whoopsy daisy! >> it was genius, pure genius! >> crusty crab, crusty crab! >> at 1:12, please. >> no, my show! >> hm, you seem tense. hm, you seem tense. oh, somebody's tense. >> reporter: the show's executive producer says spongebob is simply this. a fun-loving, hyperactive manchild. are you a manchild? are you all just immature here? >> i think all animators are a little immature. you have to have part of you that didn't grow up. >> you're it! >> reporter: maybe that's it. the secret formula that's turned an unlikely character into a global phenomenon.

sometimes it just doesn't pay to be mature. >> what do you think this is, some kind of -- some kind of party? >> oh, yeah! >> ha ha ha! >> reporter: neal karlinsky, burbank, california. [ female announcer ] introducing carefree® ultra protection™ liners.

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it's "insomniac theater" time. worlds apart. >> i saw "the girl with the dragon tattoo," a swedish film based on a crime novel that was an international best seller. i have to say this was a spot-on screen adaptation of the best-selling thriller by seeing larson. "the girl with the dragon tattoo" is set in the nordic highlands with colorful characters you find yourself wanting to protect as the murder

mystery thickens. here's a little bit of dialogue from the movie. >> of course all subtitled. numi pace plays the heroine, liz sal linder is a punk rock outcast. she is utterly convincing as the girl with the dragon tattoo. in subtle and haunting ways this film gets under your skin. there's an american version of this film that's coming out. it's going to be hard to compete with. i gave it 3 full kernels. >> 3 kernels would have been great for my movie but it doesn't get anywhere near that. "hot tub time machine" is the movie i went to see. sadly the cleverness ends with the title. these three friends go on a ski trip. after a drunken visit to the hot

tub they realize that hot tub is a time machine taking them back to 1986. how'd they figure out the year? pop culture was the dead give-away. >> relax, i'm sure there's an easy explanation. >> excuse me. what color's michael jackson? >> black. >> there are a lot of pop culture 1980s, ronald reagan references throughout the film. if you're a fan of that decade you'll certainly like parts of this movie. but the rest, there's no salvaging it. john cusack, sort of an embarrassing role. rob cordry was down right cringe-worthy in this movie. i gave it zero kernels. this was one of the worst movies i've seen in a long time. i actually looked online to see if other critics liked it. a lot of critics did like it. >> that's what i hear. >> maybe there's something wrong with me. >> maybe you just weren't in the mood for time travel.

>> in a bad mood, i don't know. maybe go soak in a hot tub. see if i can improve my attitude. rob, what's up? how's it going? how's it going? guys, this is my cousin rob from michigan. whazzup! he's a teenager. totally. hey, what's up? rob: all right. whoa. hey, you wanna slow down? no. really? huh. hey! do you know what a beautiful animal is? a horse. a horse. yeah. beautiful mane. unbelievable muscle tone. when it runs, it looks like poetry in motion. it's the most beautiful thing on earth. and sometimes when you feed a horse, its lips will tickle your hand. just, just tickle it just a little bit. it makes me giggle sometimes. i don't know. i guess what i'm trying to say is, if you don't slow down, i'm going to bite into your head like an apple.

and thanks, guys, for listening to my horse stories. i could talk about ponies all day long. vo: in the event of a car crash, three t of four kids are not asece as they shoulde bec their seats are not usedorrectly. buthe latch sysm mes it easier get rig and to hold your kids tight. anchortether. latch.

learnore safercar.gov. a firsthand look at how things are going in afghanistan. >> the relationship between the united states and afghanistan is going to continue. >> he paid a rousing visit to the troops as well. church crisis. catholics around the world are marking the holiest week of the year. that's not stopping the maelstrom of criticism that's spinning around the pope. and, old-time destination. >> i want them to visit with their mind. >>ed from looks of the pictures you'd have a hard time knowing that it's monday, march 29th, 2010. >> from abc news, it's "world news now."

>> good morning. i'm stephanie sy in for vinita nair. >> i'm jeremy hubbard. we start this half hour with breaking news out of moscow where there have been two deadly explosions at subway stations. >> the blast took place during the morning rush hour. authorities say it is likely the work of terrorists. at least 37 people have been killed in the first explosion, 25 people were killed at a subway station close to the headquarters of the russian intelligence services. >> the second explosion left at least 12 people dead. one moscow city officials claims one of the explosions was caused by a suicide bomber. the moscow subway system is one of the world's busiest, carrying around 7 million passengers on an average work day. we will continue to follow this story all morning. we'll have new develops as we learn them. president obama never even saw sunlight during his secret six-hour visit to afghanistan. his first since taking office. >> his main mission in the war zone, demanding accountability

from afghan leaders and rallying the troops fighting on the front lines. >> our martha raddatz was one of only 14 reporters to accompany the president when they touched down at bagram air base outside kabul. >> reporter: the president arrived aboard air force one, greeted by general stanley mcchrystal, who is in charge of the military effort here, and the u.s. ambassador. he was quickly taken by helicopter to the presidential palace, where afghanistan's president hamid karzai awaited him with a ceremonial guard. >> i want to send a strong message that the partnership betwee afghanistan is going to continue. >> reporter: the president praised karzai for progress that has been made here. but it is clear that president obama wants karzai to do more to fight corruption, promote good governance, and the rule of law. but the president said the major reason he came to afghanistan is to visit u.s. troops. thousands of them who waited hours to see him. in powerful remarks the

president stressed the nation's gratitude to the men and women of the military, and the importance of their mission. >> i am confident all of you are going to get the job done right here in afghanistan. i am confident of that. >> reporter: president obama's visit comes as the 30,000 additional troops he ordered last december continue to flow into the country. there are currently about 80,000 troops here. the number will be close to 100,000 by september. the trip also comes as u.s. and nato troops prepare for a major operation in kandahar, the heart of taliban country. it will be much larger than the ongoing operations in marjah. general stanley mcchrystal has said there has to be success in kandahar before the tide here will turn. president obama stayed about four hours on the ground in afghanistan but he promised the troops he would be back here many more times in the coming years. martha raddatz, bagram air base, afghanistan. the fbi conducted raids in

four midwest states over the weekend, arresting at least seven people linked to a christian militia group. agents swarmed several properties in michigan, indiana, illinois, and ohio as part of what the fbi calls an ongoing investigation. some of those arrested are expected in court later today to face weapons charges. although the president has already signed the health care overhaul bill into law, protest over its enforcement are continuing to intensify. from tea party demonstrations to threats of lawsuits, some say that the fight has only just begun. rachel martin has more. >> reporter: a number of states have threatened to sue the federal government over the constitutionality of the new health care reform. and many are going to court to challenge the fed's requirement that all americans be required to have health insurance. >> i do not believe the united states government has a right, has the authority or power to force us to purchase health insurance any more than in the name of homeland security, they could force every american to

have to buy a gun. >> reporter: democrats argue republicans are going too far in their opposition to the new law, wasting time and valuable resources. >> this is a frivolous lawsuit. it's a waste of taxpayers' dollars at a time when all the states are fighting to preserve those dollars. >> reporter: despite strong political opposition, the obama administration says people will like the health care reforms once the provisions kick in. according to a new "washington post" poll, americans continue to remain divided over theym legislation. 46% of those polled say they support the changes in the new law. 50% oppose them. but there are signs democratic voters have started to rally around their president. 56% of democrats now strongly support the recently enacted health care changes. last month, the figure was only 41%. and over the weekend, as tea party activists rallied against him, a newly emboldened president obama went ahead and made 15 recess appointments to key administration jobs.

bypassing congress and republican obstruction tactics. rachel martin, abc news, washington. a frantic rescue effort is under way in northern china where more than 150 workers are trapped in a flooded coal mine mine. 108 managed to escape when water began rushing through the mine yesterday afternoon. this morning crews have been pumping out the underground tunnel so they can get inside to find survivors or recover bodies. german authorities say they have arrested at least five people in connection with an armed heist at a swiss casino. witnesses say the raid by a group of machine gun wielding masked men was something out of a movie. it happened early sunday morning at the grand casino. a group of about ten men fired shots and made their getaway with hundreds of thousands of dollars. there are some new and somewhat dire predictions about a grasshopper invasion coming this summer. a federal survey indicates parts of wyoming, montana, south dakota, north dakota, nebraska,

and idaho may be in store for some sort of infestation. in some places it could be the worst outbreak in nearly 30 years. cool, wet weather in those locations could survival any outbreak. grass hoppers can wreak havoc for crops but not in strawberry farms in florida. >> many farmers are resorting to radical measures to boost their prices as steve owes san saw himmi reports, those actions are angering many. >> reporter: at strawberry farms across southwest florida, the workers aren't picking strawberries, they're destroying them. matt park said he was forced to tear through 60 acres, nearly half his crop, to save his farm. he says prices have dropped so much, it's suddenly cheaper to let the fruit spoil than ship it to market. >> we don't mean to hurt anybody or do anything to make anybody upset. we're trying to make a living just like everybody else is. >> reporter: the trouble began during january's hard freeze when park and other farmers were

spraying the plants with water just to keep them alive. because of that cold, months' worth of strawberries are coming in for harvest now. the farmers can usually get up to $1 a pound. today, there's so much fruit for the picking, a pound sells for 25 cents. >> we've got more berries than we know what to do with. >> reporter: across florida many residents are furious that farmers are wasting perfectly good food. >> there's no way else that you can put it into words other than, they're selfish people. >> reporter: at a soup kitchen in miami they were shaking their heads. >> senseless. for me, senseless. >> reporter: in postings online, they were even more direct. it should be a crime to plow food under. another person wrote, i'll never buy another florida strawberry again. this is nothing short of sheer greed. the people who live closest to the strawberry farms are doubly upset. homeowners say all the water the farmers used in january to save those crops dried up their wells and caused large sink holes that

are ruining homes. the home of evan and cindy had to be condemned. >> i couldn't believe it. it's like you can't believe you're going to throw these away after -- >> incredible, such a waste. >> reporter: farmers usually refuse to allow residents to pick berries themselves, worried if someone is injured they'd be held responsible. at least one farmer has changed his mind, alouing food banks, residents, anyone to pick berries for free. steve osunsami, abc news, plant city, florida. parts of north carolina are recovering from a rough patch of weather. at least seven tornados reported last night alone. >> the twisters spawned from violent storms that ripped through the state, damaging dozens of homes, snapping trees and power lines. hail, rain, and 70-mile-an-hour winds tore the middle roof off a building and left several people injured. >> it's been a slow year for tornados so far. but that's no comfort to those people there. here's a look at your weather. stormy for much of the east

coast today. heavy rain and flooding in washington, philly, new york, boston, and portland. thunderstorms in south florida today. a blizzard watch for the sierras. and 50-mile-an-hour winds and heavy rain from northern california to seattle. >> near 70 in sacramento, salt lake city, and albuquerque. 60s from fargo to kansas city. just shy of 60 in new york. baltimore and atlanta. dallas hits 72. and new orleans 66. she traveled through asia nearly 4,000 years ago. now she's making her way across the u.s. >> a mummy dubbed the beauty of show has on display in california along with two others. she's one of the most perfectly preserved mummies ever discovered. even her eyelashes are still intact as you can see there. >> oh, wow. >> she was found on the western edge of china but she has red hair and other european features leading scientists to believe she was a nomad. >> 150 artifacts including those right there. those are ancient sunglasses. >> that's so cool. >> i didn't know they had them.

>> very well preserved. >> they protected the eyelashes i guess. >> she must have been wearing mascara. >> they're not falsies, are they? >> they could be. i don't think they had those back then. >> we'll be right back with more "world news now." an aarp... why you shoulr medicare supplement .insurance plan... insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. some of what medicare doesn't, so you could save... thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket expenses. call now for this " free information kit and medicare guide. if you're turning 65 or you're already on medicare... you should know about this card -- see if it's right for you. all medicare supplement plans let you keep your own doctor, or hospital that accepts medicare. there are no networks r and no referrals needed. help protect yourself from some of what medicare doesn't pay... and save up to thousands of dollars in potential...

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>> reporter: outside new york's st. patrick cathedral, raw anger. inside, a strong defense of pope benedict. >> no one has been more vigorous in cleansing the church of the effects of this sickening sin and crime than the man we now call pope benedict xvi, the very fan now being daily crowned with thorns by groundless innuendo. >> reporter: this scandal, unlike earlier scandals, has touched the pope himself. then-cardinal ratzinger, he was in charge of investigating pedophile priests, including the notorious father murphy of milwaukee who admitted molesting hundreds of deaf students in his care. >> he asked for a confession. and murphy took him into a closet underneath a staircase and then ended up molesting him. >> reporter: arthur badzinski and other victims pleaded with the vatican to do something. ratzinger may have been briefed on the situation.

but murphy was never defrocked and died a priest in 1998. >> how could he even look at himself in the mirror knowing that he knew what father murphy was doing to over 200 children, not do anything about it. then become the pope? he should be ashamed of himself. >> reporter: some within the priesthood itself are clamoring for change. >> people are walking away from the church in droves. and the vatican is in denial about this. >> i think resignations need to come. for the good of the whole church. >> reporter: but other church leaders see this as an opportunity for healing. >> we've got to be honest and just come clean and move on. we've got to move on. >> reporter: for many within the flock, this scandal has created a crisis of faith. they're struggling to support their church while grieving the betrayal of the abused. >> my heart breaks for the church today. because there's so many good priests. >> reporter: but as the scandal grows, moving on may take a very long time. diana alvear, abc news, chicago.

>> and again, all this happening during the holiest week of the year for catholics. >> major crisis. we'll see what's up in "the skinny." from a woman who told me she took all of her money out of the bank and put it into a shoe box. what was she thinking? you know what i told her? "put it back into the bank now." listen, if your bank is insured by the fdic and you stay within the coverage limits, your money is 100% safe. a lot safer than a shoe box. how true. visit myfdicinsurance.gov today,

because the more you know, the safer your money. filed by jackson's father against that dr. conrad murray and they've been published in "news of the world," a paper over in britain. the most interesting thing revealed in these stories is michael jackson was, in fact, almost brought back from the dead, according to the lawsuit. it says that medics managed to restart his heart a full hour after he flatlined following his cardiac arrest last june. doctors got a weak pulse for ten

full minutes but they couldn't sustain it. this is all in the lawsuit filed by the guy on the right against the guy on the left. joe jackson, michael's father, on the right. dr. conrad murray, the guy on the left. we know about the allegations coming out against murray, hiding propofol from paramedics. the lawsuit also says he was at a strip club right before all of this and he'd been drinking and it was reckless for him to administer anesthesia to jackson after that. they said they found all these drugs inside the house and whatnot. the allegation is that michael jackson could have been saved and his heartbeat was brought back for a short time. >> that's so interesting because everyone assumes when he got to the hospital he had already passed. >> that's right, but not according to this lawsuit. >> very interesting. all right, on to lindsay lohan. >> yes. >> i know your favorite part of this segment. so lindsay lohan, who i know a lot of people are concerned about because she usually looks

like she's not doing so well, her idol's marilyn monroe, there's all these pictures out there, like that one, where she does not look well. she said the paparazzi pushed her there. but anyway, now she's defending herself. she told gossip cop, a website, i'm working and healthy, she says. and that was in response to an article that was published on tmz.com where somebody that claims to be close to her said, quote, if she doesn't get help soon she's going to die. lindsay's trying to say, i'm healthy and i'm working. i'm not sure what she's working on these days. i do know according to radaronline.com she's not doing so well at getting into clubs in l.a. apparently the hot place to be was the victoria's secret party the other night and she was blocked at the door. >> that's her full-time job now i think is getting into clubs it seems like. >> she's working and healthy, she says. >> she's working it i think. i know you spent the weekend toiling between the state of reggie bush and kim kardashian. >> kept me up.

>> peter grimm, same way. are they on again, are they off again? what's the story? people are saying, hey, not so fast, we heard they broke up over this big cheating scandal with this girl january gessert. paparazzi caught this girl leaving his home at 7:00 a.m. there she is right there. basically he went on twitter and said, look, no, she's like my best friend's girlfriend, nothing untoward happened here. so he's basically kiboshing those rumors and friends are saying, it's not over just yet. she's such a lovely, stunning lady. >> she is. why would anyone cheat on her? >> she's putting herself out there. whether it's to make reggie jealous or garner more attention. she put these pictures -- >> wow, you look good, girl. >> she went to twitter with these pictures over the weekend. as far as i'm concerned keep on tweeting. >> i'm sure a lot of men that are watching right now, our ratings would spike if we just left that on.

>> keep on tweeting, kim, we want to see that more and more. >> i'd be jealous if i was reggie bush. >> yeah. he's got something pretty terrific. she looks like a million bucks. that woman, that other woman, not so much. >> i'm going to start following her on twitter, i think.

finally, a fun story. we visit a small town that looks just like it might have a half century ago. >> life is idyllic there and always will be and we recently paid a visit. >> people forget how colorful the past really was. >> reporter: welcome to elgin park, pennsylvania. >> there's vivian's bakery. there's elaine's beauty parlor. >> reporter: it's a tiny town but you won't find it on any map. >> this might be the better shop. >> reporter: it's in the cramped apartment of michael paul smith just outside of boston, where a lifetime collection of model cars and homemade buildings are staged for photographs. worthy of norman rockwell. >> it's actually preserving the past of things we don't know

anymore. >> reporter: a hobby he might have kept to himself, but one day smith posted a few of his snapshots online and suddenly elgin park went viral. >> some people get very emotional. some people cry. >> reporter: this imaginary town has been visited online more than 9 million times. >> a woman from england wrote to me and she said, i'll be in the states, i want to visit elgin park. i broke it to her gently. i think i broke her heart. >> reporter: models are lined up with real backgrounds. with the click of a $75 digital camera, elgin park comes to life. >> that's good. >> reporter: but there are also doubters. people who have accused smith of faking this with photo shop. >> what time is this anyway? this is not real. >> reporter: this prove them wrong he let a finger get into the shot. or reveal some of his secrets. is that snow? >> it is baking soda. i move the cars up and down. 60-year-old man making car tracks when no one else is looking. >> reporter: despite every minute tour detail there's one

glaring omission. where are the people? smith says they've been left out on purpose. >> i want people to really look at the picture and i want them to visit with their mind. i love that sense of quietness and, i was here by myself. >> reporter: still, that hasn't stopped the uninvited guests. smith logged on one day to find elgin park had visitors, his photos doctored by creative fans. do you get a kick out of that? >> i love it, i love it. i want people to own this stuff. >> reporter: an invitation to visit a tiny town with lots of traffic but where time stands still. most of those cars come from the franklin mint, the dan bury mint. he doesn't have a car in real life but he has hundreds of model cars. >> wouldn't that be cool if he made other little towns or a future scene. >> it really does speak to the simplicity. people get nostalgic and emotional for it. it makes you want to photo shop yourself into one of those 1950s scenes. >> i love the outfit guys, thanks.

>> there we are in downtown elgin park. >> you look very dapper. >> i think if we go inside the diner we'll see a familiar f rob, what's up? how's it going? how's it going? guys, this is my cousin rob from michigan. whazzup! he's a teenager. totally. hey, what's up? rob: all right. whoa. hey, you wanna slow down? no. really? huh. hey! do you know what a beautiful animal is? a horse. a horse. yeah. beautiful mane. unbelievable muscle tone. when it runs, it looks like poetry in motion. it's the most beautiful thing on earth. and sometimes when you feed a horse, its lips will tickle your hand. just, just tickle it just a little bit. it makes me giggle sometimes. i don't know. i guess what i'm trying to say is, if you don't slow down, i'm going to bite into your head like an apple.

and thanks, guys, for listening to my horse stories. i could talk about ponies all day long. ♪upbeat rock i think its important to volunteer because it really opens you up to what goes on in the rest of the world. ♪upbeat rock you learn new things, you meet new people, you help your community, and make a better world. ♪upbeat rock young people across america are volunteering to make a difference; in their neighborhoods, in their cities, and around the world. it shows you care about your community, and you really want to be a part of it. if you know middle or high school students who volunteer encourage them to apply for a prudential spirit of community award. visit w-w-w dot prudential dot com slash spirit. i know now that i've made a difference in someone else's life

and it's the best feeling you could ever have. quick trip. president obama drops in on the troops in afghanistan. and quietly prods afghan leaders to continue reforming their government. big deal in the auto industry as a chinese company takes over volvo from its previous owner ford. >> it's a great opportunity for them to just clean up their balance sheet a little bit, get in even better financial condition. and, old-time wrestling. we go back a quarter century to a time when an entertainment titan was just hitting the really big-time. >> we're expecting all kinds of exciting action here at ringside. >> it's monday, march 29th. >> from abc news, this is "world

news now." >> good morning. i'm stephanie sy in for vinita nair. >> i'm jeremy hubbard. we start this monday with breaking news out of moscow where there have been two deadly explosions at subway stations. moscow's mayor says it was the work of two female suicide bombers. >> the blast took place during the morning rush hour. at least 37 people have been killed. in the first explosion, 25 were killed at a subway station close to the headquarters of the russian intelligence services. >> the second explosion left at least 12 dead. a reporter for the bbc was on one of the trains and talked about what she saw just a short time ago. >> i just finished my shift and i was going home. and i saw two metro trains with passengers getting out of them. i saw a young woman covered with blood and another was like so scared, she was crying.

the third one was talking to someone by telephone, her mobile phone, thanking god for her survival. after all that i started realizing that i had survived myself. so i consider myself very lucky indeed. i'm still very, very nervous. i'm really sorry about that. but really, now i feel like a participant of the whole thing. it's a big tragedy, i should say. >> eye weapons of mass destruction account from a bbc reporter who happened to be on board one of the trains. alex marquardt, abc's digital reporter, is at the scene of the second blast. alex, what can you tell us? >> reporter: good morning. i am indeed at the scene of the second blast at a metro stop which is in southwest moscow. the blast here happened at 8:39 a.m. so far, we've heard reports from here that 12 people died here. as you mentioned, as many as 25 at the other metro stop in the center of town. it should be noted that the scene of the first blast,

lubyanka, is next to the headquarters of russia's federal security services. the successor to the kgb. now, we don't know who is responsible yet. what we do know is that two female suicide bombers are believed to have blown themselves up about an hour apart. and some almost 40 people are dead. on the scene here, things are relatively calm. people have been streaming out of this metro stop. police have obviously cordoned off the area, keeping the press in a very restricted area. people don't seem to be terribly shell shocked. they're actually walking along, looking fairly relaxed. we are not seeing any of the injured, any of the dead. there are fire trucks and ambulances around. we're trying to get a feel for what exactly has happened here this morning. >> all right, abc's alex marquardt in moscow this morning. obviously a story we'll continue to follow throughout the morning

here on abc. president obama is aboard air force one at this hour on his way back to washington after a secret six-hour visit to afghanistan. >> his main message was for u.s. troops stationed at bagram air base near kabul, thanking them for the sacrifices they're making. nick schifrin joins us from islamabad, pakistan, to wrap up the president's whirlwind visit. >> reporter: good morning, stephanie. it was an incredibly secret visit. only a handful of people knew before that he was actually going to afghanistan. for months his staff has been trying to send the president to afghanistan, a war that he inherited but now he owns. >> how's it going, bagram? >> reporter: president obama has nearly tripled the number of troops in afghanistan, and 14 months after becoming commander in chief he finally paid them a visit. >> the afghans have suffered for decades. decades of war. but we are here to help afghans forge a hard-won peace. >> reporter: the president said his secret surprise trip to

afghanistan at night was to thank some of the 80,000 american troops here. by the fall, the number will grow to over 100,000. >> so thanks to you, there's been progress these last several months. but we know there are going to be some difficult days ahead. there's going to be setbacks. we face a determined enemy. >> reporter: but he also visited to provide a carrot and stick to president hamid karzai, who obama has criticized in the past for being a corrupt, inefficient leader. publicly, he praised him. >> i'm encouraged by the progress that's been made. >> reporter: but white house officials say privately, obama urged karzai to clean up his government, root out corruption, and reduce the prolific drug trade. >> a transition will be able to occur so that more and more security efforts are made by the afghans. >> reporter: before that transition can take place, afghan security forces need to

improve. and u.s. troops need to fight a possibly decisive battle in southern afghanistan, which means 2010 could be even more violent than 2009 before this country can improve. and indeed, 2010 has already been much more violent than 2009 in the first three months of this year, double the number of troops have died compared to last year. >> abc's nick schifrin reporting from islamabad, thanks, nick. the fbi targeted a christian militia group, raiding locations in four midwest states this weekend. swarming properties in michigan, indiana, illinois and ohio. because the federal warrants were sealed, few details are available. but the fbi says some of those arrested will be in court later today to face weapons charges. pope benedict launched holy week at the vatican under a dark cloud of a worsening pedophile priest scandal. although he didn't address the scandal directly the pope did tell followers he won't be

intimidated by critics. the vatican is vigorously defending the pope's handling of the abuse scandal and denying the church has taken part in any cover-up. u.s. auto giant ford is selling volvo to chinese automaker geeely. ford will offload the swedish brand for $1.8 billion, less than one-third of the $4.6 billion ford paid for volvo 11 years ago. volvo employs around 22,000 people, 18,000 of them in sweden. severe weather ends in north carolina today, leaving mostly heavy labor and flooding along the east coast as far north as new england. stormy also in the northwest with gusty winds and heavy downpours from san francisco to seattle. snow in the sierra and cascades. >> 50 in seattle today. 70 in billings. 86 in phoenix. 60s for kansas city, omaha and fargo. 50s from boston to atlanta. 76 in miami. 66 in new orleans. in march madness, the final four hype is under way. michigan state took down

tennessee yesterday to book its place in indianapolis. the spartans have survived this far despite a serious injury to one of their top players last week. >> duke also punched its final four ticket yesterday by topping baylor. the blue devils are the only number one seed still alive. >> next saturday in indianapolis it's butler, the hometown team, against michigan state. and duke will take on west virginia. >> we'll be right back with more "world news now." rtrtrtrtant news for diabetics on medicare! i'm a diabetic and i want you to know over 230,000 u.s. doctors have authorized their patients to receive their diabetic supplies through liberty medical. and that begins with the one touch®ltra02 meter. easy to use, fast results... at no additional cost! liberty helps keep you on track by delivering diabetic supplies to your door... and filing your claims. i never feel i'm going to run out of anything. with liberty i always have someone to talk to and now they refill all my prescriptions.

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welcome back. the fierce battle over health care reform legislation is over but the fighting rages on. >> on the sunday talk shows democrats and republicans measured the fallout and fanned the flames. >> "face the nation" with cbs news chief washington correspondent bob schieffer. >> senator, we saw some pretty scary stuff last week, both before and after this vote. we saw members' offices that were trashed, we saw death threats, we saw all kinds of things. do you think the parties have an

obligation to try to tone down some of this runaway rhetoric? is it, in fact, dangerous? >> there's no place for violence or bad language in american politics. we settle our differences with our voices and our votes. but i do believe that it is the right and obligation of americans, when they think the government is going in the wrong direction, to speak out and even take to the streets in nonviolent protest to let their congressmen and senators know that they don't like the way we're going. i think that's what we're seeing. and i think we're going to see a lot more of it. >> i went to the house floor the first thing on monday and put a bill in that would repeal obama care. that's what i believe the american people want us to do. again, "the new england journal of medicine" released a survey the week president obama signed obama care stating that over 30% of american physicians would leave the profession if the government took over health care. that's very serious going forward. >> this is "meet the press with

david gregory." >> everyone knows our health care system is very wasteful. it delivers good health care for most people. but one-third of all dollars don't go to health care are. it's the most inefficient system we have. and with doing nothing, the price keeps going up 10%, 12% a year. without this bill, medicare would have gone broke in seven years. now people say it's 12 -- it has 12 more years of life. so i think you're going to find this is the first attempt in the history of health care to get at the waste, the fraud, the abuse, the duplication. >> there's a reason no republican voted for this thing. it's not that we don't care about people and we don't want to lower costs. this lost its focus. it got -- there's a noble effort started by the president, then it got to be, i got to pass a bill because my presidency's at stake. this idea it reduces the deficit as flat-out lie. you don't include the money we're going to spend to fix the

doctor problem, which is $200 billion. they took it out of the health care will and put it in the jobs bill to make it look like it cuts the deficit. if you add the money we're all going to spend to help doctors not get cuts, that wipes out the deficit. you spend medicare money twice. you take $570 billion out of medicare to pay for the health care bill, then you're using that same $570 billion to say it lowers the growth of medicare over time. it's a giant ponzi scheme. >> "this week" with jake tapper. >> the fact of the matter is, this is an issue under our constitution where the powers of the federal government are limited. does the federal government have the power and authority to require, force, every citizen to buy product? in this case, health insurance. in this case it's not you must buy a product called health insurance, you must buy a product that has been approved

by the united states government and the price of that product will be fixed by the united states government. i do not believe the united states government has a right, has the authority or power to force us to purchase health insurance, any more than in the name of homeland security, they could force every american to have to buy a gun. >> look, the only way health insurance companies -- by the way, this is not a government takeover. we left the private health insurance companies intact. the only way they can afford to give coverage to people with pre-existing conditions, people who get sick, college kids up to 26 who are staying with their parents, the only way they can afford to do that is if anyone goes into the insurance pool. it's easily within the power of the federal government. >> that debate is unending. >> the two sides agreeing to disagree. my mind was mush after watch joolg this week" and the other shows. both sides were trying to explain their math. >> we don't know what's true, we won't probably for the next

couple of years, we won't be able to see how they can make this entire bureaucracy work. >> until then, confusion. >> we'll have to keep hearing it. drama in the ring. the bigger than life battle between good and evil that is professional wrestling. >> we'll look back at one of the hottest fads of '80s.

the characters in the new film "hot tub time machine" realize they're back in the '80s. >> they might have known another way. the '80s were the golden age of professional wrestling. we went to the vault and "world news" on this day 25 years ago, march 29th, 1985. >> ripping to the ropes and a big drop. >> reporter: is it sport? fraud? farce? >> a spinning toe hold. >> reporter: here's a new answer to those old questions. what it is, is in.

>> he's got him hooked. >> reporter: pro wrestling may look like the same scripted battle between good and evil. the same airplane spins and deadly months trilt holds that have packed them in for decades. but look who's joined in. >> i'm here because i'm really angry at this guy. this roddy piper as disgrace. >> reporter: writer gloria steinem. clearly one of the beautiful people. >> why don't you come out and fight like a man? >> i now pronounce that they are man and wife. >> reporter: what's going on here is a wedding of an old, if not entirely honorable, blue collar entertainment with shrewd, modern mass media marketing. it's made pro wrestling a hot, even trendy commodity. >> indeed, we're expecting all kinds of exciting action here at ringside. >> reporter: meet vince mcmahon. he not only announces the bouts, he runs the world wrestling federation. the product, as mcmahon calls it, is seen on 100 local tv stations and two cable networks. formats like a wrestling talk show help hawk his wares. >> there's a more deliberate

attempt to use marketing techniques that have not been used in the past. there's more a deliberate technique in terms of broadening the marketing base. ♪ phone rings in the middle of the night ♪ >> reporter: a fusion of rock and wrestling hype that began when cyndi lauper put a wrestler in a rock video. ♪ girls they want to have fun >> i want to present you with the -- >> reporter: with plot twists worth of a soap opera, mr. t coming to the maiden's defense. these outrages in turn set the stage for a sunday match at madison square garden. >> the war lives on, i'll die for rock 'n' roll and for this title. >> reporter: armageddon, the good guys, mr. t and heavyweight champ hulk hogan, against the forces of darkness. >> next time bring the girls, bring the little black han, bring them into the ring, bring

the big blond man, and come on, i'll take care of them by myself. >> reporter: why would a sophisticated audience buy into this stuff? >> wrestling's the only honest sport there is. everything that's supposed to happen does. >> reporter: the hype worked so well, hulk hogan and mr. t have been granted the ultimate yuppie honor. co-hosting saturday night live. executive producer dick ebersol explains why. >> the wrestling isn't the important thing. it's the drama and the theater of it all. good guys, bad guys. singing the anthem beforehand. it's like taking the whole momentum of something like the olympics and making it into a weekly or monthly event. >> reporter: this pastime has grown so trendy nbc will soon begin a regular late-night television program combining rock, comedy and wrestling. tickets for sunday's sold out tag team brawl at the garden have been going for as much as $100 a pop. jeff greenfield, abc news, new

york. >> i love the way every single male in this studio knew every single wrestler, and every move, the hammer, all of them. >> that's right. the figure four leg look. the perrier and the quiche never did show up. ot mx medicare car, i realized i needed x an aarp... medicare supplement insurance card, too. medicare is one of the great things about turning 65, in fact, it only pays up to .80% of your part b expenses. if you're already on or eligible for medicare, call now to find out how an aarp... medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company, not paid by medicare part b. that can save you up to ! thousands of dollars. these are the only medicare supplement insurance plans... exclusively endorsed by aarp. when you call now, you'll get this free information kit... and guide to understanding medicare, i can keep my own doctor and choose my own hospital. and i don't need a referral to see a specialist.

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world wor worldnews now delivers your "morning papers." >> it is that time. >> it is. >> the "new york post" has a real interesting headline today that reads, nevada's first relevant prostitute is off the hooker. remember the first male hooker? 25-year-old ex-marine, that's him, goes by the name marcus. he is the first legal prostitute in nevada. apparently he's called it quits because he's gotten less than ten customers in the past three months, despite those big guns and all. and beyond that, there's another guy who's in his mid 30s who's

now working at this brothel, which is outside of las vegas, and apparently the ladies prefer him. his name is why not. if you're wondering what marcus is doing, he's going back to the porn business. because that's the obvious place to go after you're a prostitute. >> maybe for marcus there is a happy ending after all. maybe if he had a pair of moobs business would have been better. this is the story that may get me fired from abc so i'll say that. before you see this picture you have to know, this is a man. >> and it might be disturbing to some of you. >> it is disturbing. >> even at this hour of the morning. >> this is a man, it's not a woman, and here's the picture. >> and i still thought we might have blurred them out. >> it may be. this is a man. this is a man. doctors are baffled by his moobs. basically he's 53, works at a dairy farm, it's gotten the point people will come and point and laugh.

>> he does not work at a dairy farm. he does not work at a dairy farm. >> we've got the sound effects. >> according to "the sun" he works at a dairy farm. >> we've got a sound effect of somebody motor boarding him too. >> i feel bad for the guy. >> who do the doctors. we have blurred the picture. this is a man. they tried to figure out if he was poisoned or whatever but over the course of the last decade or so the moobs have gotten bigger. that's a man, it's not a woman. >> we have to say that. we have to keep that picture up for a long time. also in the "new york post" they're reporting girls at least in this city in new york are flocking to trampy prom dresses. there was the trampy halloween costume. now the trampy prom outfit. they're saying things like that are in style. a woman in the story said women want short or poofy or tight-fitting with everything cut out. the sides are began gone, the back is gone. they look like "dancing in the stars" outfits.

>> does that in any way resemble what you wore? >> that one is similar. i did have a backless, kind of slut

yah! [horse whinny] [wood breaks] crack! help meeeee! somebody help her! c'mon deputy, let's go! hold on! yah! take my hand! what are you guys doing out here? dad was just helping me take care of katie. you know... runaway stage. well, dinner will be ready in a few minutes.

imagine what a little time can do for your family. secret trip. >> how's it going, bag room? >> president obama wings into afghanistan to support u.s. troops there and deliver a message to afghanistan's president. watch your mouth. new momentum for a teenager's effort to stop the use of so many curse words all courtesy of the vp's f-bomb. and, "insomniac theater." we went to the movies this weekend. >> what color's michael jackson? >> black. >> and it wasn't all good. we'll plumb the depths on this monday, march 29th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> we're talking about

"insomniac theater." stephanie's first installment. of "insomniac theater." >> very excited about that. >> i hope your movie was better than mine. >> it was, i'm thinking it was. >> mine was horrible. but we'll get to that this half hour. >> sorry. >> stick around. good morning i'm jeremy hubbard. >> i'm stephanie sy in for vinita nair this morning. president obama is on his way back to the white house this morning after his unannounced trip to afghanistan. >> the president spent a busy six hours in the war zone first issuing a stern message to the afghan president, then delivering a rousing speech to u.s. troops at bagram air field north of kabul. nick schifrin has details. >> how's it going, bagram? >> reporter: president obama has nearly tripled the number of troops in afghanistan and 14 months after becoming commander in chief he finally paid them a visit. >> the afghans have suffered for decades. decades of war. but we are here to help afghans forge a hard-won peace. >> reporter: the president said

his secret surprise trip to afghanistan at night was to thank some of the 80,000 american troops here. by the fall, the number will grow to over 100,000. >> so thanks to you, there's been progress these last several months. we know there are going to be some difficult days ahead. there's going to be setbacks. we face a determined enemy. >> reporter: but he also visited to provide a carrot and stick to president hamid karzai, who obama has criticized in the past for being a corrupt, inefficient leader. publicly, he praised him. >> i'm encouraged by the progress that's been made. >> reporter: but white house officials say privately, obama urged karzai to clean up his government, root out corruption, and reduce the prolific drug trade. >> a transition will be able to occur so that more and more security efforts are made by the afghans. >> reporter: but before that transition can take place, afghan security forces need to improve. and u.s. troops need to fight a

possibly decisive battle in southern afghanistan, which means 2010 could be even more violent than 2009 before this country can improve. nick schifrin, abc news. some breaking news this morning out of the russian capital moscow where two female suicide bombers triggered explosions at two subway stations. the blasts took place on packed trains during the morning rush hour. at least 37 people have been killed. in the first explosion 25 people died at a subway station close to the russian federal security service headquarters. 12 more died in the second blast. no group has taken credit. back here at home, the fbi conducted weekend raids in four midwest states, arresting at least seven people linked to a christian militia group. agents swarmed several properties in michigan, indiana, illinois, and ohio. information is sketchy because the federal warrants are sealed but some of those arrested are

expected in court today to face weapons charges. president obama has used the congressional recess to make 15 appointments, including two to the national labor relations board. the constitution allows the president to make such appointments without senate approval, but some analysts say it will only sour bipartisan relations even further. david kerley has more. >> no, no, no! >> reporter: tea party activists are mad. and president obama just gave them even more to be angry about. using what is called a recess appointment, the president bypassed the senate where some of his nominees have been blocked for seven months. mr. obama put 15 people directly into key administration jobs. >> the republican party has taken a position where they're going to try and slow and block progress on all fronts, whether it's legislation or appointments. >> reporter: republicans are particularly angry about craig becker, a union lawyer, worried he'll make it easier for unions to organize workers as a member of the national labor relations

board. >> what the president has done here is throw fuel on the fire at a time when the civil -- when the debate about politics is a very angry debate to begin with. >> reporter: so, with the midterm elections seven months ago, is the president giving up on bipartisanship? >> on the one hand i think it signals that he is on a roll, that they've passed health care and they're feeling confident and want to put some people in place. but it also signals that ahead there's more clash. >> reporter: a clash indeed. nastiness, spitting, name-calling, bricks thrown through windows, and fiery rhetoric. >> let's stop these sleazy chicago-style sausage making that went on behind closed doors. >> obama, pelosi, reid spending spree is over, you're fired. >> reporter: governing in the coming months isn't going to get any easier. >> we're unlikely to see much of a resolution or much working together between the two parties certainly before the midterm elections. >> reporter: the white house defends these recess

appointments saying president bush, in fact, every recent president, used them. still, it was this president, mr. obama, who promised to change washington. resorting to this tactic may only deepen the divisions between the two poli david kerley, abc news, the white house. north korea is warning of retaliation against its south korean neighbor and the united states for what it describes as psychological warfare. the north koreans are angry over journalist tours to the dmz buffer zone that divides north and south korea. the heightened tensions come as south koreans deal with the unexplained explosion and sinking of a navy ship saturday. dozens of sailors remain missing. pope benedict opened holy week under mounting pressure sparked by the worsening pedophile priest scandal and new charges. as jim sciutto reports the pope insists he won't be intimidated by his critics. >> reporter: with the world watching and a crowd of tens of thousands, pope benedict presided over the start of holy week at st. peter's. his homily made only an indirect

mention of the scandal shaking the catholic church. a series of revelations has raised questions about the pope's handling of abusive clergy. as archbishop in germany and later as head of the vatican office entrusted with investigating abuse. the vatican has defended the pope arguing he has pursued abuse more aggressively than his predecessors, noting most cases happened decades ago. >> no one has been more vigorous in cleansing the church of the effects of this sickening sin and crime than the man we now call pope benedict xvi. >> reporter: in a case from the u.s. sparking outrage in recent days, then-cardinal joseph ratzinger has been criticized for not dismissing a priest who abused an estimated 200 deaf boys. the key mistake in many such cases critics say is the church seemed to act principally to protect the church from scandal, rather than confront abusers and prevent them from abusing again. saturday the vatican's top spokesman acknowledged how the church handles the current crisis is crucial for its moral credibility.

jim sciutto, abc news, the vatican. u.s. auto giant ford is selling volvo to chinese automaker geely. ford will load off the famed swedish brand for $1.8 billion. but that amount is less than one-third of the $6.4 billion ford originally paid for volvo 11 years ago. the swedish company is known for making vehicles that also have appeal to families but volvo has been a loss for ford. volvo employs around 22,000 people, 16,000 of them in sweden. all right, let's talk some basketball. march madness, the sweet 16, and the elite eight are now down to the final four. the surprising final four. michigan state outlasted tennessee yesterday to book its place in the national semifinals. the spartans have survived this far despite a serious injury of one of their top players last week. >> duke punched its final four ticket by topping baylor. the blue devils are the tournament's only number one seed still alive. >> next saturday in indy it is butler, the hometown team, against michigan state. and duke will take on west

virginia. the duke part i get. the rest is a big surprise. >> there's a lot to cheer for but i'm glad about that. >> i don't know anybody who picked those four teams for the final four. >> my husband picked duke. >> he's on to something. here's your monday forecast. the east coast gets drenched with heavy rain and flooding from north carolina to new england. possible thunderstorms around new york and philly today. stormy also in south florida. a rainy, windy day from san francisco to seattle. heavy snow in the sierras and cascades. >> near 70 from sacramento to colorado springs. a hot 86 in phoenix. 49 in chicago. 59 in minneapolis. 66 in omaha. high 50s from boston to atlanta. 76 in miami. down in phoenix at the zoo they're celebrating a major milestone for one of the original residents. >> it was the big 5-0 for duchess, the orangutan, the oldest captive-born orangutan in the country. hundreds of visitors sang "happy birthday" as duchess enjoyed her ice cake filled with fruit, yum.

she was also presented with a giant birthday card. >> duchess was 2 years old when the zoo opened at 1962. at 50 what does she do besides eat ice cake? we're told she loves to paint on canvas and clean her own pen with a scrubbing brush. she's a hard worker at age 50. >> wow. she paints, extraordinary. >> i'd like to see some of that. we'll be right back with more "world news now." assistance getting around their homes. there is a medicare benefit that may qualify you for a new power chair or scooter at little to no cost to you. stay tuned for this important medicare benefit information and free scooter guarantee. imagine... one scooter or power chair that could improve your may entitle you to pay little to nothing to own it. one company that can make it all happen ...

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talk to. there is a medicare benefit that may qualify you for a new power chair or scooter at little to no cost to you. the los angeles school district plans to save money by shortening the next school year by a week. unions representing teachers and administrators agreed to the deal to save more than 2,000 jobs and keep class sizes from growing. the los angeles school system,

which is the second-largest in the country, is facing a $640 million deficit. >> no complaints from kids i'm sure. >> i'm sure not. a 14-year-old kid from a town next to los angeles is on a global crusade to save the world from cussing. >> when vice president joe biden whispered an expletive into president obama's ear at the signing of the health care bill last week, he knew he had his work cut out for him. >> reporter: it was the f-bomb heard round the world. a 17-year-old from southern california isn't letting vice president biden off the hook so easily. >> we are very disappointed in vice president biden's choice of words during the passing of the health bill. >> reporter: the high schooler is the founder of a no cussing club that boasts 35,000 members from around the world. >> all we ask is for a public apology and for him to take the no cussing challenge. i'm going to be actually sending vice president biden a shirt, a cussing jar, and wrist bands to remind him to use good language and show america that hope and change starts at the top. >> reporter: the kid's gotten

jay leno's attention. >> i give you a lot of credit for standing up for something you believe in. i think that's really good. ♪ i don't want to hear that speak ♪ >> reporter: and he's built a grassroots movement with its own squeaky clean rap anthem. ♪ don't cuss >> reporter: even before the vice president's recent display, hatch had potty mouths in washington in his sights. ♪ i was trying to chill when i heard about the language on capitol hill ♪ >> reporter: maybe he'd heard all these clips. president clinton chastising an aide in 1993. george w. bush describing a pesky reporter to dick cheney. as for the veep's favorite expletive? frack, mr. vice president, is always a fine alternative. i wasn't sure whether to use frack or flipping or frickin'. >> any of those work. >> any of those would have worked, mr. vice president. >> cussing is a big deal. they say one out of every 200 words the average person says is

a curse word. >> maybe that's true for you, i never swear. >> no? >> i have a totally clean mouth. >> i don't believe you. we'll find out during the break. get her to cuss. next, secrets of the deep. what's the recipe for spongebob squarepants' enduring success? my name's brandon. in 9 years, i'll be an alcolic. all: hi, brandon. i'll start dg with the older kids,

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the most popular cartoon on tv is one of the strangest. it stars a kitchen sponge who lives at the bottom of the ocean with a motley assortment of friends. >> why is spongebob squarepants such a ratings and merchandising powerhouse? here's neal karlinsky. >> reporter: this is the world of spongebob squarepants. a show that's grown into a multi-billion dollar phenomenon so popular it is among the top-rated shows on all of cable television. >> get the sneakers. we're going to let them lead us straight there! >> reporter: steven banks is the show's head writer. >> spongebob squarepants is about a sponge to lives under

the sea in a pineapple. he works at the crusty crab. he makes crabby patties. >> ketchup, mustard, pickles. >> reporter: he's not a sea sponge but an actual kitchen sponge who works as a fry cook in a place called bikini bottom. with what you might call a colorful cast of characters and assorted misfits. there's the squirrel scientist who lives in a bubble. >> kellen lawrence and i play sandy cheeks. >> i like you, spongebob. >> reporter: the greedy boss. >> clancy brown. and i play mr. crabs. ♪ money oh money how i love thee ♪ >> reporter: the depressed cynical neighbor. >> roger bumpus. >> spongebob keep it down! >> reporter: the dopey, good-natured best friend. >> bill fagerbachy. i'm patrick. >> reporter: and, of course, the sponge himself. >> tom kenny, spongebob squarepants. >> what do you think it is? what's the secret sauce? why is this show so popular? >> magnetism.

>> mass hypnotism. >> secret sauce. >> funny is funny. >> we'll probably get 40 lashes. >> oh, no! >> the stories are funny, it's just maintained its longevity. >> i think it's spongebob's whimsical optimism. ♪ i'm ready i'm ready >> he cannot be defeated and i think that has a lot to do with its appeal. ♪ i'm ready i'm ready >> go spongebob! >> do you think it's the adult humor? >> i think you've hit it on the head. i think adults these days are still very immature. >> the inner machinations of my mind are an enigma. >> luckily the infantilization of the american culture has worked for us. >> reporter: a full 25% of the show's audience are adults who don't even have kids. making a children's cartoon isn't child's play. it takes nine months to make just one episode. >> spongebob comes out of the

freezer and says, would you like a fresh frozen crabby patty with extra freezer burn flavor? >> reporter: the artists pitched the shows to executive producer pail tibbet in a room plastered with illustrations, a story board of an episode. i think people will be surprised to see you guys drawing on post-it notes. >> it makes it easy. you can pull them off and switch them around. >> reporter: the cartoon has been going ten years now, broadcast around the world in 25 languages. [ speaking foreign language ] ♪ >> reporter: and it has spawned an entire line of toys, clothing and food with sales estimated at nearly $1 billion a year. ♪ cha-ching cha-ching >> the only reason my family and i aren't living under a bridge is i can go -- daa! how do you explain that? it's a very bizarre day job. >> reporter: actor tom kenny and the rest of the cast practice by rehearsing around a table. >> not for long! daa! >> we're going to run this

through to sandy's line 98. >> reporter: when they finally record the show, there are no added special effects for their voices. >> whoopsie daisy! >> it was genius, pure genius! >> crusty crab, crusty crab! >> at 1:12, please. >> no, my show! >> hm, you seem tense. hm, you seem tense. oh, somebody's tense. >> reporter: the show's executive producer says spongebob is simply this. a fun-loving, hyperactive man-child. are you a man-child? are you all just immature here? >> i think all animators are a little immature. you have to have part of you that didn't grow up. >> you're it! >> reporter: maybe that's it. the secret formula that's turned an unlikely character into a

global phenomenon. sometimes it just doesn't pay to be mature. >> what do you think this is, some kind of -- some kind of party? >> oh, yeah! >> ha ha ha! burbank, california. [ female announcer ] introducing carefree® ultra protection™ liners.

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it's "insomniac theater" time. our movie picks this weekend were worlds apart. >> i saw "the girl with the dragon tattoo," a swedish film based on a crime novel that was an international best seller. i have to say this was a spot-on screen adaptation of the best-selling thriller by swedish writer stieg larsson. "the girl with the dragon tattoo" is set in the nordic highlands with colorful

characters you find yourself wanting to protect as the murder mystery thickens. here's a little bit of dialogue from the movie. >> of course all subtitled. noomi rapace plays the heroine, lisbeth salander is a punk rock outcast with a photographic memory and an outcast. she is utterly convincing as the girl with the dragon tattoo. in subtle and haunting ways this film gets under your skin. there's an american version of this film that's coming out. it's going to be hard to compete with. i gave it 3 full kernels. >> not bad, not too bad at all. 3 kernels would have been great for my movie but it didn't get anywhere near that. "hot tub time machine" is the movie i went to see. i wanted to see it because of the title. sadly the cleverness ends with

the title. the premise is these three old friends and a teenage boy go on a ski trip. after a drunken visit to the hot tub they realize that hot tub is a time machine taking them back to 1986. how'd they figure out the year? pop culture was the dead give-away. >> dude has a cassette player. >> relax, i'm sure there's an easy explanation. >> excuse me. what color's michael jackson? >> black. >> there are a lot of pop culture 1980s, ronald reagan references throughout the film. if you're a fan of that decade you'll certainly like parts of this movie. but the rest, there's no salvaging it. john cusack, sort of an embarrassing role. rob corddry was downright cringe-worthy in this movie. i gave it zero kernels. >> ouch. >> this was one of the worst movies i've seen in a long time. i actually looked online to see if other critics liked it. a lot of critics did like it. >> that's what i hear. >> maybe there's something wrong with me. >> maybe you just weren't in the mood for time travel.

>> in a bad mood, i don't know. maybe go soak in a hot tub. see if i can improve my attitude. [vibrates] g morning, sunshine. wakey, wakey. text me back. [chattering] [vibrates] hey. did you tell your parents about us? let's skip first period together. did you get all my texts? is practice over yet? where you at? are you with your friends? that's laaaa-mee. capital "x," lower-case "o," capital "x," lower-case "o," i love you. jk. i hate you. jk. are you ignoring me? we're in a huge fight right now. is it something i did? i can see your lights on. i'm coming over. this isn't a joke. what did you dream about? [overlapping] is it me? i'm lonely. holla back. holla back. let's try something new. nude pics. send me some. text me.

[swords clank] watch out! give me all your treasure! imagine what a little time can do for your family. ah, ha! take that!

president obama gets a firsthand look at how things are going in afghanistan. >> the partnership between the united states and afghanistan is going to continue. >> he paid a rousing visit to the troops as well. church crisis. catholics around the world are marking the holiest week of the year. that's not stopping the maelstrom of criticism that's spinning around the pope. and, old-time destination. >> i want them to visit with their mind. >> from the looks of the pictures you'd have a hard time knowing that it's monday, march 29th, 2010. >> from abc news, this is "world news now."

>> good morning. i'm stephanie sy in for vinita nair. >> i'm jeremy hubbard. we start this half hour with breaking news out of moscow where two female suicide bombers have targeted the city's subways. >> the explosives were detonated on packed trains during the morning rush hour. at least 35 people have been killed. 23 died in the first blast at a subway station near the headquarters of the russian intelligence services. >> the second explosion left at least 12 more dead. no one has taken credit for the explosions but female suicide bombers linked to chechen mill tach tants have killed before. carrying around 7 million passengers every day. we will of course continue to follow this story all morning and have the latest for you on "america this morning" and "good morning america." president obama never even saw sunlight during his secret six-hour visit to afghanistan. his first since taking office. >> his main mission in the war

zone, demanding accountability from afghan leaders and rallying the troops fighting on the front lines. >> our martha raddatz was one of only 14 reporters to accompany the president when they touched down at bagram air base outside kabul. >> reporter: the president arrived aboard air force one, greeted by general stanley mcchrystal, who is in charge of the military effort here, and the u.s. ambassador. he was quickly taken by helicopter to the presidential palace, where afghanistan's president hamid karzai awaited him with a ceremonial guard. >> i want to send a strong message that the partnership between the united states and afghanistan is going to continue. >> reporter: the president praised karzai for progress that has been made here. but it is clear that president obama wants karzai to do more to fight corruption, promote good governance, and the rule of law. but the president said the major reason he came to afghanistan is to visit u.s. troops. thousands of them who waited hours to see him. in powerful remarks the

president stressed the nation's gratitude to the men and women of the military, and the importance of their mission. >> i am confident all of you are going to get the job done right here in afghanistan. i am confident of that. >> reporter: president obama's visit comes as the 30,000 additional troops he ordered last december continue to flow into the country. there are currently about 80,000 troops here. the number will be close to 100,000 by september. the trip also comes as u.s. and nato troops prepare for a major operation in kandahar, the heart of taliban country. it will be much larger than the ongoing operations in marjah. general stanley mcchrystal has said there has to be success in kandahar before the tide here will turn. president obama stayed about four hours on the ground in afghanistan but he promised the troops he would be back here many more times in the coming years. martha raddatz, bagram air base, afghanistan. the fbi conducted raids in four midwest states over the

weekend, arresting at least seven people linked to a christian militia group. agents swarmed several properties in michigan, indiana, illinois, and ohio as part of what the fbi calls an ongoing investigation. some of those arrested are expected in court later today to face weapons charges. although the president has already signed the health care overhaul bill into law, protest over its enforcement are continuing to intensify. from tea party demonstrations to threats of lawsuits, some say that the fight has only just begun. rachel martin has more. >> reporter: a number of states have threatened to sue the federal government over the constitutionality of the new health care reform. and many are going to court to challenge the fed's requirement that all americans be required to have health insurance. >> i do not believe the united states government has a right, has the authority or power to force us to purchase health insurance any more than in the name of homeland security, they

could force every american to have to buy a gun. >> reporter: democrats argue republicans are going too far in their opposition to the new law, wasting time and valuable resources. >> this is a frivolous lawsuit. it's a waste of taxpayers' dollars at a time when all the states are fighting to preserve those dollars. >> reporter: despite strong political opposition, the obama administration says people will like the health care reforms once the provisions kick in. according to a new "washington post" poll, americans continue to remain divided over the legislation. 46% of those polled say they support the changes in the new law. 50% oppose them. but there are signs democratic voters have started to rally around their president. 56% of democrats now strongly support the recently enacted health care changes. last month, the figure was only 41%. and over the weekend, as tea party activists rallied against him, a newly emboldened president obama went ahead and made 15 recess appointments to key administration jobs. bypassing congress and

republican obstruction tactics. rachel martin, abc news, washington. a frantic rescue effort is under way in northern china where more than 150 workers are trapped in a flooded coal mine. about 108 workers managed to escape when water began rushing through the unfinished mine yesterday afternoon. this morning crews have been pumping out the underground tunnels so they can get inside to find survivors or recover bodies. german authorities say they have arrested at least five people in connection with an armed heist at a swiss casino. witnesses say the raid by a group of machine gun-wielding masked men was something out of a movie. it happened early sunday morning at the grand casino. a group of about ten men fired a number of shots. they then made their getaway with hundreds of thousands of dollars. there are some new and somewhat dire predictions about a grasshopper invasion coming this summer. a federal survey indicates parts

of wyoming, montana, south dakota, north dakota, nebraska, and idaho may be in store for some sort of infestation. in the coming months. in some places it could be the worst outbreak in nearly 30 years. cool, wet weather in those locations could stifle any outbreak. grass hoppers can wreak havoc for crops but not in strawberry farms in florida. there, a bumper harvest is causing a massive fall in prices. >> many farmers are resorting to radical measures to boost their prices. as steve osunsami reports, those actions are angering many. >> reporter: at strawberry farms across southwest florida, the workers aren't picking strawberries, they're destroying them. matt park said he was forced to tear through 60 acres, nearly half his crop, to save his farm. he says prices have dropped so much, it's suddenly cheaper to let the fruit spoil than ship it to market. >> we don't mean to hurt anybody or do anything to make anybody upset. we're trying to make a living just like everybody else is. >> reporter: the trouble began

during january's hard freeze when park and other farmers were spraying the plants with water just to keep them alive. because of that cold, months' worth of strawberries are coming in for harvest now. the farmers can usually get up to $1 a pound. today, there's so much fruit for the picking, a pound sells for 25 cents. >> we've got more berries than we know what to do with. >> reporter: across florida many residents are furious that farmers are wasting perfectly good food. >> there's no way else that you can put it into words other than, they're selfish people. >> reporter: at a soup kitchen in miami they were shaking their heads. >> senseless. for me, senseless. >> reporter: in postings online, they were even more direct. it should be a crime to plow food under. another person wrote, i'll never buy another florida strawberry again. this is nothing short of sheer greed. the people who live closest to the strawberry farms are doubly upset. homeowners say all the water the farmers used in january to save

those crops dried up their wells and caused large sink holes that are ruining homes. the home of evan and cindy had to be condemned. >> i couldn't believe it. i can't believe you're going to throw this away. >> incredible, such a waste. >> reporter: farmers usually refuse to allow residents to pick berries themselves, worried if someone is injured they'd be held responsible. at least one farmer has changed his mind, allowing food banks, residents, anyone to pick berries for free. steve osunsami, abc news, plant city, florida. parts of north carolina are recovering from a rough patch of weather. at least seven tornados reported last night alone. >> the twisters spawned from violent storms that ripped through the state, damaging dozens of homes, snapping trees and power lines. hail, rain, and 70-mile-an-hour winds tore the metal roof off a building and left several people injured. >> it's been a slow year for tornados so far. but that's no comfort to those people there. here's a look at your weather.

stormy for much of the east coast today. heavy rain and flooding in washington, philly, new york, boston, and portland. thunderstorms in south florida today. a blizzard watch for the sierras. and 50-mile-an-hour winds and heavy rain from northern california to seattle. >> near 70 in sacramento, salt lake city, and albuquerque. 60s from fargo to kansas city. just shy of 60 in new york, baltimore and atlanta. dallas hits 72. and new orleans 66. she traveled through asia nearly 4,000 years ago. now she's making her way across the u.s. >> a mummy dubbed the beauty of shao ha on display in california along with two others. she's one of the most perfectly preserved mummies ever discovered. even her eyelashes are still intact as you can see there. >> oh, wow. look at that. >> she was found on the western edge of china but she has red hair and other european features leading scientists to believe she was a nomad. >> her display includes 150 artifacts, including those right there.

those are ancient sunglasses. >> that's so cool. >> i didn't know they had them. >> very well preserved. >> they tects >> she must have en w mas c >> did they have them? >> i don't think they had those back then. >> we'll be right back with more medicare supplement .insurance plan... insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. some of what medicare doesn't, so you could save... thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket expenses. call now for this " free information kit and medicare guide. if you're turning 65 or you're already on medicare... you should know about this card -- see if it's right for you. all medicare supplement plans let you keep your own doctor, or hospital that accepts medicare. there are no networks r and no referrals needed. help protect yourself from some of what medicare doesn't pay... and save up to thousands of dollars in potential...

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attract and lock dirt, dust, and hair on contact to clean 50% more than a broom. swiffer gives cleaning a whole new meaning. ♪ welcome back. pope benedict addressed tens of thousands of catholics gathered in st. peter's square to mark palm sunday. >> he made no direct mention of the priest sex abuse scandal rocking the church but he did urge the faithful to have the courage to resist the intimidation of popular opinion. >> but the debate rages on around the world. some are calling for the pope to resign, while others credit him with getting the church's house in order. >> here in the u.s. the pontiff got a passionate defense from one archbishop who suggested he faces unjust accusations, just like jesus. here's diana alvear.

>> reporter: outside new york's st. patrick's cathedral, raw anger. inside, a strong defense of pope benedict. >> no one has been more vigorous in cleansing the church of the effects of this sickening sin and crime than the man we now call pope benedict xvi, the very man now being daily crowned with thorns by groundless innuendo. >> reporter: this scandal, unlike earlier scandals, has touched the pope himself. then-cardinal ratzinger, he was in charge of investigating pedophile priests, including the notorious father murphy of milwaukee who admitted molesting hundreds of deaf students in his care. >> he asked for a confession. and murphy took him into a closet underneath a staircase and then ended up molesting him. >> reporter: arthur badzinski and other victims pleaded with the vatican to do something. internal correspondence shows ratzinger may have been briefed on the situation.

but murphy was never defrocked and died a priest in 1998. >> how could he even look at himself in the mirror knowing that he knew what father murphy was doing to over 200 children, not do anything about it. then become the pope? he should be ashamed of himself. >> reporter: some within the priesthood itself are clamoring for change. >> people are walking away from the church in droves. and the vatican is in denial about this. >> i think resignations need to come. for the good of the whole church. >> reporter: but other church leaders see this as an opportunity for healing. >> we've got to be honest and just come clean and move on. we've got to move on. >> reporter: for many within the flock, this scandal has created a crisis of faith. they're struggling to support their church while grieving the betrayal of the abused. >> my heart breaks for the church today. because there's so many good priests. >> reporter: but as the scandal grows, moving on may take a very long time. diana alvear, abc news, chicago.

>> and again, all this happening during the holiest week of the year for catholics. >> major crisis.

"the skinny" on this monday. we start off with stunning revelations about the final moments of michael jackson's life. they come in a lawsuit that was filed by jackson's father against that dr. conrad murray and they've been published in "news of the world," a paper over in britain. the most interesting thing revealed in these stories is michael jackson was, in fact, almost brought back from the dead, according to the lawsuit. it says that medics managed to restart his heart a full hour after he flatlined following his cardiac arrest last june. doctors got a weak pulse for ten full minutes but they couldn't

sustain it. this is all in the lawsuit filed by the guy on the right against the guy on the left. joe jackson, michael's father, on the right. dr. conrad murray on the left. we know about the allegations coming out against murray, in recent weeks, about hiding propofol from paramedics. the lawsuit also says he was at a strip club right before all of this and he'd been drinking and it was reckless for him to try to administer anesthesia to michael jackson after that. they said they found all these drugs inside the house and whatnot. the allegation is that michael jackson could have been saved and his heartbeat was brought back for a short time. >> that's so interesting because everyone assumes when he got to the hospital he had already passed. >> that's right, but not according to this lawsuit. >> very interesting. all right, on to lindsay lohan. >> yes. >> i know your favorite part of this segment. so lindsay lohan, who i know a lot of people are concerned

about because she usually looks like she's not doing so well, her idol's marilyn monroe, there's all these pictures out there, like that one, where she does not look well. >> a mess. >> she said the paparazzi pushed her there. but anyway, now she's defending herself. she told gossip cop, a website, i'm working and healthy, she says. and that was in response to an article that was published on tmz.com where somebody that claims to be close to her said, quote, if she doesn't get help soon she's going to die. lindsay's trying to say, i'm healthy and i'm working. i'm not sure what she's working on these days. i do know according to radaronline.com she's not doing so well at getting into clubs in l.a. apparently the hot place to be was the victoria's secret party the other night and she was blocked at the door. >> that's her full-time job now i think is getting into clubs it seems like. >> she's working and healthy, she says. >> she's working it i think. i know you spent the weekend toiling over the state of the relationship between reggie bush

and kim kardashian. >> kept me up. >> peter grimm, same way. couldn't function without knowing what's going on between these two. are they on again, are they off again? what's the story? people are saying, hey, not so fast, we heard they broke up over this big cheating scandal with this girl january gessert. paparazzi caught this girl january gessert leaving his home at 7:00 a.m. i think we've got a picture. there she is right there. basically he went on twitter and said, look, no, she's like my best friend's girlfriend, nothing untoward happened here. so he's basically kiboshing those rumors and friends are saying, it's not over just yet. she's such a lovely, stunning lady. isn't she? >> she is. why would anyone cheat on her? >> she's putting herself out there. whether it's to make reggie jealous or garner more attention. i don't know what. she put these pictures -- >> wow, you look good, girl. >> she went to twitter with these pictures over the weekend. as far as i'm concerned keep on

tweeting. >> we can just go back to that. i'm sure a lot of men that are watching right now, our ratings would spike if we just left that on. >> keep on tweeting, kim, wet r >'d b if ye >'d ifif ye

finally, a fun story. we visit a small town that looks just like it might have a half century ago. >> life is idyllic there and always will be and we recently paid a visit. >> people forget how colorful the past really was. >> reporter: welcome to elgin park, pennsylvania. >> there's vivian's bakery. there's elaine's beauty parlor. >> reporter: it's a tiny town but you won't find it on any map. >> this might be the better shot. >> reporter: it's in the cramped apartment of michael paul smith just outside of boston, where a lifetime collection of model cars and homemade buildings are staged for photographs. worthy of norman rockwell. >> it's actually preserving the past of things we don't know

anymore. >> reporter: a hobby he might have kept to himself, but one day smith posted a few of his snapshots online and suddenly elgin park went viral. >> some people get very emotional. some people cry. >> reporter: this imaginary town has been visited online more than 9 million times. >> a woman from england wrote to me and she said, i'll be in the states, i want to visit elgin park. i broke it to her gently. i think i broke her heart. >> reporter: there is nothing high-tech here. models are simply lined up with real backgrounds. with the click of a $75 digital camera, elgin park comes to life. >> that's good. >> reporter: but there are also doubters. people who have accused smith of faking this with photo shop. >> what town is this anyway? this is not real! >> reporter: to prove them wrong he let a finger get into the shot. or reveal some of his secrets. is that snow? >> it is baking soda. i move the cars up and down. 60-year-old man making car tracks when no one else is

looking. >> reporter: despite every miniature detail, there's one glaring omission. where are the people? smith says they've been left out on purpose. >> i want people to really look at the picture and i want them to visit with their mind. i love that sense of quietness and, i was here by myself. >> reporter: still, that hasn't stopped the uninvited guests. smith logged on one day to find elgin park had visitors, his photos doctored by creative fans. do you get a kick out of that? >> i love it, i love it. i want people to own this stuff. >> reporter: an invitation to visit a tiny town with lots of traffic but where time stands still. most of those cars come from the franklin mint, the danbury mint. he doesn't have a car in real life but he has hundreds of model cars. >> wouldn't that be cool if he made other little towns or a future scene. >> it really does speak to the simplicity. people get nostalgic and emotional for it. it makes you want to photo shop yourself into one of those 1950s scenes.

>> i love the outfit, guys, thanks. >> there we are in downtown elgin park. >> you look very dapper.